śvās - volume I

ABOUT ŚVĀS

Imagine living far away from home, in a new city/country, working tirelessly everyday to turn your dreams into reality. But the closer you get to the clouds, the further away you go from your roots. Before you know it, it's been days, and sometimes even weeks, since you ' ve spoken to someone in your mother tongue. You're beginning to forget how those familiar words of childhood feel on your lips. The first time you go back home, it takes you a little longer to read your native script on road signs and shop windows.

This strange and uncomfortable experience is common amongst the massive diaspora of international students that relocate to Canada every year Cofounded by UofT alumni Shreya Vohra and Sanskriti Maheshwari, śvās is a platform inspired by this experience An experience that Shreya, Sanskriti, and other members of the editorial team, are unfortunately too familiar with. This magazine is for post-secondary students from across the globe to share various forms of creative expression delivered in their native languages in an attempt to promote pluralism, tolerance, and a proud re-connection with our native languages.

Originating from Sanskrit, śvās means “breath” in numerous South-Asian languages Among other things, the word serves as a reminder to take a moment to pause, breathe and reflect upon our connections with our native tongue(s) and honor the roles they play in our lives - yesterday, today, and every day.

EDITORS' NOTES SanskritiMaheshwari

ShreyaVohra

Shreya is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto (B.A. Hons.) and is currently studying law at Osgoode Hall Law School.

She is a native Hindi and Punjabi speaker from Chandigarh, India. Her inspiration behind founding śvās was the limited opportunities and incentives available to students to engage with their native languages as they navigate postsecondary academia and the widespread erroneous belief of categorizing languages hopes to d freedom, l honor the in our live

Sanskriti is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto (B.Sc. Hons.) and is currently in the process of applying to law school.

Having moved away from her home untry, India, at a very young age, she d it difficult to keep in touch with her native language, Hindi But, Sanskriti nizes that to stay true to her heritage, cultural identity, and family ties it's ant for her to stay connected with her other tongue. Native languages play a

Contents

ŚVĀS|VOLUME1|FEBRUARY2023

The Masthead

Contributors

Ang Makaluluoy nga Tiguwang by Niño Jan Pol V Dosdos

daguerreologue by Irteqa Khan

Muhajir: Mustehkam Hoon Par

Poetry by Tushti Hari

Artwork by Hannah Zihui Wan

Jeevan Bai and $100 bill - a comic by Preet

Poetry by Tushti Hari

Sculptures by Asabe Mamza

by Abhinav Muraleedharan

Homesick & Photo by Niño Jan Pol V. Dosdos

THE MASTHEAD

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

An-Yi (Eva) Tsai MANAGING EDITOR

Mobin Karam ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Elena Davakis

OUTREACH DIRECTOR

Nilanika Goonetilleke OUTREACH DIRECTOR

Devajyoti Chakraborty SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR

Yash Barik

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ana Villegas

Astrid Manzanilla CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Nidhil Vohra CREATIVE DIRECTOR

(photograph by Shreya Vohra)

CONTRI

Niño Jan Pol V. Dosdos

Niño Jan Pol V. Dosdos hails from Pagadian City, Philippines He is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto

Irteqa Khan

writer, poet

I am a 24 year old Pakistani Canadian My family left Pakistan when I was barely a teenager and a lot of my work speaks to that. I study Business accounting and work at a bank. I write to let love flow through me, I write to let my pain escape me I have self published a collection Majority of my work talks about social issues, bodily autonomy, and of course the glue of it all: love.

Irteqa Khan (she/her) is a Muslim-Canadian writer and poet of color. She holds an Honours degree in History and an MA in Political Studies from the University of Saskatchewan and will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Political Science at York University in the Fall. Irteqa writes primarily about the psychospiritual, cultural, and linguistic gradations of diasporic living Her writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and appears in L’Éphémère Review, The Brown Orient, Homology Lit, Anomaly, Honey Literary, Fahmidan Journal, and Mixed Mag among others

Irteqa’s debut poetry chapbook, rēza rēza, was published with Gap Riot Press in 2020.

@Ashna 19

Ashna Ansari writer, poet

writer

BUTORS

@abhinavmuraleedharan

Abhinav is a grad student at the University of Toronto. He is interested in AI, Physics, Math, Philosophy and is curious about pretty much everything. Occasionally, he writes poems and short essays

Hannah Wan is a Psychology student at a Cégep in Montréal, and a soon-to-be Humanities undergraduate at the University of Toronto Her future academic aspirations? To go to medical school, then specialize in psychiatry. Just like her academic path, her pool of interests is all over the place, leaving nothing untouched - from philosophy, music, painting, astronomy, flowers, cats, to poetry.

Abhinav Muraleedharan poet

poet

Hannah Zihui Wan

Asabe Mamza artist, sculptor

@mai zane

Preet artist

Preet is an artist based in the GTA. She uses watercolours, comics and acrylics to spread messages of faith, hope and love She was previously into accounting and had a major breakdown at a very young age. Art came to her rescue, her journey with art began and she didn’t look back She went to Toronto School of Art and Nova Scotia College of Art and Design to hone her skills Three of her paintings were featured at an exhibition “Phenomena” at the Holy Art Gallery, London, UK in May 2021 Her work was also selected for Fashion Revolution UK, Toronto Chapter for an exhibit in 2022

August studies English at the University of Toronto Having grown up in Hong Kong with Canadian citizenship, with a lot of Canadian family members, moving to Toronto inspires her to reconsider Chinese culture and the diverse experience of immigration

Tushti is a passionate poet and loves expressing her feelings through these words She self published her anthology "I wish I knew what love was " on Amazon Kindle 3 years ago and has contributed in another piece since then Poetry and short "shayaris" are her way of appreciating love and happiness

Tushti Hari poet

BUTORS

I am a Canadian-born Hong Kong-Chinese person investigating the interdependent relationship between objects, place and identity through an interdisciplinary research-based practice. I use my lens as a woman of colour to navigate discourses of transnationalism, migration, and diasporas My early family memories function as a point of departure to reflect and respond to global contexts and

https://www.jonicheung.com/

(hi)stories I collect and reference still and moving images, texts, audio and soundscapes, objects, places and spaces, popular culture, and digital media This research presents itself as installations, sculptures, performances, texts, photography and video, as well as accumulations of ephemera that bring attention to things often overlooked. My favorite materials are banal, everyday objects that hold significant cultural weight and through their sheer existence, they are documents of the shared lived-experiences and memories between individuals within and outside of my communities

Sandra Lamouche

Sandra Lamouche is a Nehiyaw Iskwew (Cree Woman) from the Bigstone Cree Nation in Northern Alberta and married into the Piikani Nation in Southern Alberta. She completed her B A in Native Studies from the University of Lethbridge in 2007

In 2021 she successfully defended her M A Thesis at Trent University, titled “Nitona Miyo Pimadisiwin (Seeking a Good Life) Through Indigenous Dance” which examines Indigenous Dance as a Social Determinant of Health and Well Being

Sandra is a multidisciplinary creator and storyteller, she is a Champion Hoop Dancer, award winning Indigenous Educational Leader, two-time TEDx Speaker, artist, and writer

@hoop dance goddess

writer

Joni Cheung artist

@snackwitch

"Cheyenne, an Algonquian language indigenous to North America, now spoken predominantly in Montana and Oklahoma"

- https://research cornell edu/news-features/cheyenne-how-meaning-coded-language

featured in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), NYC (photograph by Sanskriti Maheshwari)

SINUGBUANONG BINISAYA

The Austronesian language, Sinugbuanong Binisaya

also known as Cebuano is mostly spoken in Southern Philippines by Visayan ethnolinguistic groups. During the 1500s, the language was influenced by the Spanish language due to the arrival of Spanish colonists. “Cebuano

by Niño Jan Pol V. Dosdos

in my hometown. I documented seven ndigenous literature. sa Sirongan. Mga karaang Subanen ang nabuhi sa bukid, diin sila nag-uma sa mga hayop

an. Nahiagom sila sa hilabihang kainit

a basakan Tungod niini, gipang apodtubig aron sila mabuhi

nga lalaki nga naglibod-suroy sa baryo. gisubay ang suba, apan iyahang nakita ahuna-huna siya nga mangayo sa mga

a unang balay. Nanawag siya og a-a-

sa ka dalaga.

big? Giuhaw kaayo ko "

sa amoa, " balos sa dalaga nga gitutokan ang lalaki.

uwang padulong sa ikaduhang balay. akigistorya kaniya.

makabahin og tubig sa uban Ting-init

unahan Sa ikatulong payag, iyahang

akaon sa iyahang baka ug mga sunoy.

"Buot gyud unta nako nga mohatag og tubig Apan, lisod gyud ning kahimtang nako ug basin pud nga mamatay ning mga alaga nako sa kauhaw."

Human miadto na usab siya og laing balay Pero sa wala pa siya kaistorya, nisiyagit tigbalay nga usa ka tiguwang nga babaye

"Hoy, gaunsa ka man sa akoang tugkaran. Hawa diri ug palayo!"

Nasakitan na og pag-ayo ang tiguwang, apan buot niya nga magpakiluoy sa usa nala higayon. Naabot na siya sa ikalimang balay diin adunay gatapok nga mga kalalakin

Nangamuyo siya nga daw mura og wala nay kusog sa iyahang lawas Ug sa dihan gikataw-an lamang nila ug gilabayan og bato ang tiguwang!

"Ayaw og balik dinhi kay makatilaw gyud ka namo!"

Nahiubos kaayo ang tiguwang. Sa wala pa siya nitalikod ug dayong lakaw, mihulga s usa ka pahayag.

"Nakita nako nga gakinahanglan gyud kaayo ninyo og tubig, kay maskin og usa ka wala gyud mo kahatag. Puwes hatagan tamo og daghan kaayog tubig!"

Nihawa sa baryo ang tiguwang ug nahanaw sa lasang Dako niyang kasubo ang pangd sa iyaha sa mga lumulupyo. Diay to, wala sila kahibalo nga usa diay ka diwata ang tig nga nagpatawo-tawo!

Milabay ang pipila ka oras ug kalit ningit-ngit ang langit Mibundak ang kusog kaay bunok sa ulan. Ang makausa nga mala nga suba karon naghaguros sa tubig ug ma naglunop sa lugar. Ug tungod sa kalawom, nalunod ang tibuok baryo. Walay nakaling ug ang tanan sa palibot kay tubig

Ang baryo nga gitunglo sa diwata mao karon ang matahom nga danaw sa Lakewo

Nagatuo ang mga Subanen nga labing importante ang paghatag og tabang sa mg

nanginahanglan Kay moabot ang panahon og basin usa ka diwata ang mangamuy ilahang tugkaran.

ount Sirongan. The early Subanens tending plants and animals

uffered a severe drought and the waters , too As a result, the villagers carefully or their survival

He looked frail and was so thirsty. The old fellow decided to visit the nearby creek but he only found dead fish lying on the dry, dry er from the villagers

He called, a-a-aayooo!

ge woman replied. thirsty," said the man he next couple of days." she exclaimed.

second house This time, a young boy

more. It is the dry spell. after all."

lad feeding his cow and chickens.

ficult time and my animals might die

e he could speak, an angry old woman

nt yard. Go away!"

He was hurt, but he was willing to give one last try At last, he arrived at the fifth house w a group of middle-aged men gathered. When he was done with his plea, the men react viciously and threw rocks at the poor old man!

"Do not come back here, or you'll get a good beating!" blurted out one

Exasperated, the elderly guy declared a warning before he could turn back and walk aw

"I see that you indeed need water, for you are not able to share even just a single drop. W then, I will give all of you lots of water!"

The old fellow left the town and vanished into the woods He had been truly shocked by unpleasant treatment of the locals. Little did they know that he was a diwata [fairy] preten to be a human being!

Suddenly, heavy rain plummeted down the village The once parched rivers and stream flooded the area. The gush of the water was so intense that it sank the entire community. was no sign of life and everything was water.

Some Subanens believe that the sunken village is now the majestic lake in Lakewood. The also maintain that it is necessary to provide aid to those who seek refuge or ask for help time might come that a divine being may knock at their doors

Streets of Bombay

(captured By Nidhil Vohra)

PASHTO

Pashto is an Indo-Iranian language that is spoken in Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It is believed that the term "Pashto" comes from the proto-Iranian form parsaw, which is also known as "Persian language".

“Pashto ” Pashto Language and Alphabet, https://omniglot com/writing/pashto htm

URDU

Urdu is one of India's most widely spoken languages and it is the official language of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Today, Urdu is the 20th most commonly spoken native language in the world, with more than 170 million speakers.

“The Urdu Language - Everything You Need to Know ” Cudoo Blog, 1 Feb 2021, https://cudoo com/blog/a-guide-to-the-urdu-language/

daguerreologue

by Irteqa Khan

... [the] piece [on the previous page] is a meditation on some of my most intimate thoughts and as a child of immigrants from the perspective of what my current adult self would say to or " my three year old self who arrived on Canadian soil to begin a new life nearly 20 years ag "daguerreologue" is a conversation with an old photo, and through my writing, I strove to exp lived experiences, connections, and encounters with culture, language, and religion growing u immigrant woman of colour, a Muslim, and a Pakistani in Canada.

Par Safar Jaari Hai

i forced or consensual The poem is y ancestors facing violent division rseverance in the face of adversity.

aha, n chuki main

ra, in

(photograph by Author)

Aisi la parwahi se apni mitti se be-dakhal ki gaye hoon, Apne ghar se beghar hokar dar badar phiri hoon, Ab har ghar, har saqafat mein ashnai dhoond leti hoon

Mere abao ajdad ki awazein mere kaanon mein goonjti hain, Do pal ruk bhe jaoon tou ye na teherti hain, Main khud se rooth bhe jaoon, thoda sa toot bhe jaaon, Inse tohfe mein mili dileri phir sahara banjati hai, Phir himmat baandh jati hai

Main is he himmat ko lapete, baste mein baandh nikal padti hoon, Mere har rag mein basti hai yeh khoobi, Is taakat, is tohfe ki karzdaar rehagi mere rooh bhi

j p ,

n chupa ke, kudh se milaya

n, kti hain

Jahaan mere zaroorat us he raaste chal padti hoon, Na raaste ka dar, Na khidmat ka khauf, Apna boriya bistar baandhe phir kamar kas leti hoon

Sarhad paar bulaawa aye na aaye, Main wohi hoon musaafir, Aar ya paar, aaj bhe wohi hoon muhajir

Migrant/Immigrant: I am settled but the journey continues

by Ashna Ansari - English Translation

Where peace was found, where thirst was quenched, I kept moving towards that place, In every moment of this journey I found such tranquility that every breath said, I became a traveler long ago because of my bloodline/ancestry

Every land, every particle gave me such a conscience, that with the power of this conscience I kept repaying my debt

I was exiled from my own land with such carelessness, I am homeless and I have wandered from door-to-door, Now I try to find familiarity in every strange house and culture

The voices of my ancestors echoes in my ears, Even when I stop for a moment these voices don't waver, Even if I get angry with myself, even when I break down, The bravery I receive as a gift from the voices become my support, Then I feel courageous.

I take this courage, I wrap it up and carry it with me in my brokenness to become stronger, This courage resides in every part of my body and in every wound, My soul will always be in debt to this strength and power

The beauty of my home still lingers in my mind, I am thankful to every nation and place that gave me shelter, that helped me lessen my burdens, that held me when I fell, and that comforted me when I needed it

When I map out my travels that have taken me through many cities, The lines meet between Nainitaal and Muzzafarnagar, they cross Hindustan and Pakistan, and from Pakistan they end at this land of freedom, I serve and bow to these in every moment, as I get lost in their winds I gather my courage for the next journey

Wherever I am needed or my fate leads me I go there, I don't fear the road, Nor do I have the fear of service, I pack everything and muster up all my strength

Whether the border calls or not, I am that traveller, On this end or that, whether in the desert or the plain, even today I am still that wanderer

Eiffel Tower, Paris

(captured by Ayushee Roy)

FRENCH

French is the official language of over 33 countries including France and it is one of the most popular romance languages in the world. There are over 97.1 million native French speakers across the globe.

“History of the French Language: Rosetta Stone® ” Rosetta Stone, https://www rosettastone com/languages/french-language/

Bonté adorée

by Hannah Zihui Wan

I am surrounded by people with the purest, sweetest souls. Whenever I witness them doing some gesture out of genuine kindness, or saying something of such pleasant sincerity, I feel myself filled with warmth and tenderness for them, the recipient, and just humanity in general. This poem encapsulates that feeling.

Ma poitrine, enflammée

Il menace parfois de faire déborder en moi toute cette joie, dirais-je même euphorie

Reconnues pour leur concomitant désir de sourire au point de ressentir cette douleur de toute douceur aux joues

Un catalyseur; inconscient des effets produits par son caractère gracieux et son empathie

Mais comment ne remarque-t-il pas

l’accélération de ces battements de mon coeur?

Ou ces réactions pourtant si abondantes, trop évidentes, d’ocytocine et d’endorphine?

(photograph by Author)

Adored Goodness (Bonté adorée)

by Hannah Zihui Wan - English Translation

My chest has been i (Ma poitrine, enfla

At times, he threatens to make all this joy, or should I say euphoria, ov

(Il menace parfois de faire déborder toute cette joie, dirais-je même euphorie)

Feelings known for concomitantly creating the desire to smile to the po your cheeks softly a (Reconnues pour leur concomitan de sourire au point de ressentir cette d de toute douceur aux

A catalyst; unaware of the consequences of his empathy and gr disposition — But how does he not notice the way my heartbeats are p up

(Un catalyseur; inconscient des effets pr par son caractère gracieux et son em

Mais comment ne remarquel’accélération de ces battements de mon c

Or these reactions of oxytocin and endorphin which are so abundant too ob

(Ou ces réactions pourtant si abond trop évidentes, d’ocytocine et d’endorp

CREE

Cree is an Algonquian language that is spoken in Southern Canada. The language has five major dialects: Northern and Woodlands Cree, Central and Swampy Cree, Moose Cree, Western and Plains Cree, and Eastern Cree.

“Native Languages of the Americas: Cree ” Cree Language and the Cree Indian Tribe (Iyiniwok, Eenou, Eeyou, Iynu, Kenistenoag), http://www native-languages org/cree htm

aci nehiyaweyan

by Sandra Lamouche

Cree language

pying a few words from the inte ss the page. I was inspired to cre mom is a Cree teacher and I wit ings I have long wanted to do I rom English into Cree and then

be able to speak Cree. She paus at way She would say, in my h ul way to express this feeling. T beauty and healing. who had passed on many years met When I described her, my Cree and I could understand he passed on. She had to translate maternal grandmother died wh om home at age sixteen This is h. I am trying to learn Cree now

eart I love Cree I dream in Cree y y y isakihtan nehiyawewin. Nineh y

ree only until she was sixteen. iyawew isko nikwatasap.

O i l p a i n t i n g o f a m o u n t a i n o u s l a n d s c a p e o n a 1 6 x 2 0 i n c h c a n v a s . I t i s n o t o r i g i n a l w o r k , a n d I u s e d a r e f e r e n c e .

Near Kunming Lake, Haidian District, China

(captured By Rounak Maheshwari)

CHINESE

The Chinese language forms part of the Sino-Tibetan language family and it is spoken by around About 1.3 billion people in the world. The majority of mainland China and Taiwan speak Standard Mandarin, which is a dialect of the Chinese language.

“Chinese Language ” Asia Society, https://asiasociety org/education/chinese-language

Untitled

by Joni Cheung

(background photo by Rounak Maheshwari)

This experimental work uses text found on one randomly chosen page from three different sources to explore ideas of time, migration, and recollection, by carving physical and intangible space through personal interjections Using varying scales of time and by embodying different nonhuman beings and objects, the page and text becomes sculptural material to reflect on the unfolding of my mother's life.

CHINATOWN

by August

"Chinatown" takes readers on a journey down Spadina Avenue in Toronto's Chinatown, and a journey on the experience of first and second generation immigrants By incorporating a large amount of signs, notices and advertisements found in Chinatown, it depicts a reality of immigration and the Chinese identity. It explores multiculturalism within the Chinese community, as well as understandings of home and freedom The simultaneous use of Chinese and English represents bilingualism. It makes the poem exclusive to people who understand both languages only, since both languages play a crucial, inseparable role in the immigrant experience (although English translation is provided for accessibility). Lines are expected to be read aloud in English, Mandarin and Cantonese

(photograph by Author)

CHINATOWN

is not 唐⼈街, The woman in blue pleated skirt tells her child on their usual stride down Spadina Ave.

“For me, Chinatown is a vibrant place; it’s busy with people, it’s got a variety of busin a lot of restaurants where you can go and eat.”

“Mami, why is this shop called Ten Miles?”

“Because when the wind blows in spring, its aroma floods ten miles.” “And why is thi called Time Sugar?”

“Because sweetness only lasts a moment ”

“Why does Mami know all that?”

“Because Mami knows Chinese.”

“Mami, we should try this store some time, Iron Rooster!”

She laughs, if only he knows its Chinese name,

The day The Child discovered a body in the mall is the same day his mother discovere body in the waters twenty years ago, the same year she fled home and discovered

d to learn Chinese, for she is a

REE Apple Music for months, Only

ch him how to distinguish gs Chinatown failed to teach

l Fruit Tea Real Fruit Smoothie; Thai Country Kitchen Authentic Thai Cuisine; 真

ate the silhouette of home, The ome, of home, ettes of home…

WE PRICE MATCH

After the string breaks doors / doors gonna open by / itself / 绳⼦断了⻔会⾃动打开 / scissors position / blade position

“There is a mild (great) difference between Chinatown and 唐⼈街, See? We are Chinese but we are not Chinese,” Says The Child to his friends.

His friends who speak English do not understand him

His friends who speak Spanish do not understand him

His friends who speak Hindi do not understand him.

His friends who speak Chinese do not understand him.

The Child has no wall to write on in his home country, so he writes in Chinatown: “让 续 / 陪你 / Let me stay / with you,” “It’s / GOOD / for the plot,” “希望⾝边的⼈ / 能永 远

福, ” “脱单 / 暴富, ” “WE LIKE FORTNITE / WE LIKE FORTNITE / WE LIKE FORTNIT “遊⼦離家 / 願⼀切安好! / May the odds be /ever in your favor,” “Be Your / Best Self,” 我的[illiterate]

/ came / here!” “

哟~ , ” “Happy Lantern / Rite!”…

“I like you!

I miss you!

I wanna be with you!

Hmm… when will you fulfil your promise? How long do I have to wait?”

Credits

This poem incorporates a lot of signs, notices and advertisements in Toronto’s Chinatow Line 82-91 are taken from post-its on a wall in a shop in Chinatown

Line 6-7, 26-27, 46-47, 66, and their translations are cited from “Chinatown, the Best!” series of window and wall murals featuring elders from [the] community, created as part larger project, in which [they] share stories, envision & conjure [the] best Chinatown.”

Line 1, direct translation of Chinatown

Line 5, direct translation of Oxford Street

Line 8-16, Nice to meet you for the first time! / Characters jumped out from alphabets one by one / Mother’s Dumplings lived in between Lucky’s Trading and Kung Fu Duck / Besides Qin’s Garden and Chinese Arts & Crafts Centre / She can’t help but laughed out loud, for homesickness is all around the world- / She did not understand at first, until the ninth of September, the blue dress is no longer flood with innocence, but has become a sea of rain droplets hitting parasol trees / Crimson Teas entraps a dragon that seems not a dragon, LCBO takes the decent name “store for alcohol,” with a delicate wall painting of two dragons playing in water / (The people here are the koi fighting for their lives under their foot) / City and door, the character “dragon” in royal azure has only its “moon” part left

Line 17, Chinese name for the shop Ten Miles; literally, spring wind ten miles Line 19, Chinese name for the shop Time Sugar; literally, a moment sugar

Line 24, Chinese name for the shop Iron Rooster; literally, called a chicken - “chicken” has the connotation of “whore”

Line 25, direct translation of Cecil Street

Line 26-27, “ ... often enough people mistook Andrew as the tour-guide to this white couple, until they noticed the mixed-race little boy That experience helped create Stan’s artwork ”

Line 30-32, Hiring: full time dishwasher, contact by phone if interested / Hiring experienced cook, kitchen porter, waiter and intern, please discuss inside if interested / Hiring full-time, part-time shop worker WE ARE HIRING! / Hiring night-shift cook and dishwasher one each / Seeking talented people, day-shift, night-shift, part-time, holiday workers, full-time workers JOIN US

Line 33, Her first job was the Revolution of Boba

Line 34-36, Lui Realty Inc. Professional Real Estate Service / House for rent, include water, electricity, internet, furnitured, 3 minutes from Dragon City Mall / Suite for rent, 3 minute walk from university, near Chinatown too, suitable for students and employers / Apartment for rent, 3 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, move in anytime, available in long-term or short-term

Line 37, Her first apartment was on Spadina

Line 38-40, Good luck on immigrating, Global Paragon Translation Service / iNew Immigration Inc. / Professional immigration service, couple reunion, family guarantee, refugee application, various visas, various extensions, appeal guarantee / Translation, pr of single status, immigration translation, appoint notary publics, interview translations / Speedy, traffic ticket, change name, authorise will, register company

Line 41-44, Her first document was IRPR / And her first desire was Oliver Spencer x Nawaki… it was originally a sojourn, yet she entered Hang Phat Jewellery, and left 3rd Fl Tailors / (House is built on corpses; home lies under the roof)

Line 45, direct translation of Baldwin Street

Line 46-47, “ ... I remember the exploding firecrackers that were thrown under the lion at my feet, the smell of smoke, and the burn holes in my uniform I continue to teach the lesso of the Fat Shan Lion Dance to my students The circle continues ”

Line 53, direct translation of “free delivery”

Line 58, Chinese name of the restaurant Anh Dào; literally, cherry restaurant Line 59, Kung Fu Beef Chinese BBQ; literally, real half (beef) Chinese BBQ Line 64, Shredded Por Gold Preserved Egg Congee Kung Pao Chicken on Rice Purple Rice Soup with Taro B

Line 65, direct translation of D’Arcy Street

Line 66, “Clean, prosperous, diversified and the most beautiful scenery in North America ‘Toronto Chinatown’.”

Line 72, when the string breaks the door will open automatically

Line 74, Chinese name of Chinatown; literally, the street of Tang people

Line 82-86, “Let me keep / staying with you” “Hope the people around me / Can be bless forever,” “Get rid of being single / Get rich overnight,” … “A wanderer who left home / Wishes everything fine!” … “Wish my [illiterate] would not change / Because of the people and things around me,” “Wish that everyday in future / You are with me~”

New Delhi Railway Station, India

(caputured by Sanskriti Maheshwari)

HINDI

In addition to being an acknowledged minority language in the United Arab Emirates, Hindi is the official language of India spoken by approximately 425 million people. Hindi originated its name from the Persian term "hind," which translates to "land of the Indus River".

Besides India, Hindi is also spoken in South Africa, the United States, Nepal, Mauritius, Suriname, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Kiprop, Victor “Hindi Speaking Countries ” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 9 Oct 2019,

Poetry

by Tushti Hari

This is a poem about love - the way I see it to be. It describes love as something unique and something that drives me crazy into it and that is what I've penned down in this short poetry

by Tushti Hari - English Translation

If their name rings in your ears all the time,

If talking to them brings you peace.

If you dedicate each line of those poems to them

If by being with them you find yourself.

If you share all your secrets with them.

If they understand the depth of your heart just by looking into your eyes

If you want to stop the clock when you are with them.

If you want to spend your life with them

If it's their character, not personality, that touches you.

If you feel lonely without them.

If you want to live in their heart

If thinking of them brings a smile on your face.

If you feel full just by thinking about them.

If your heart and mind fight for them

If by being with them you find every happiness in the world.

If you dream only of them at night.

If you make sacrifices for their happiness

Then they are the one.

The one your heart desires.

The one you want to live for

And yes, the one you would die for.

This is the same true love which is felt by the heart and expressed by the eyes. This is the same love that God created, was written in stories, and rejected by th world.

Jeevan Bai and $100 bill - a comic

by Preet

Jeevan Bai and $100 Bill is a true story about my great grandmother, written in hindi. This story was told by my mother. It describes an event of her childhood. This comic connects me to my ancestry and a true cute story of my great grandmother occured in 1940s

Jeevan Bai and $100 bill - a comic

by Preet

Poetry

by Tushti Hari - English Translation

I don't want a two-day affair, It should be love that lasts a lifetime, In this era of smartphones, There should be love that is expressed through written letters and notes...

Instead of confessing your love through words

It should be expressed in your eyes, Instead of making big promises, There should be a sincere heart...

New York Graffiti

(captured by Shreya Vohra)

MARGHI, NIGERIA

The Chadic language of Marghi is most widely spoken in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Chad The Marghi language is an affluent language family including Madube, Izge, Lassa, Gulak, Damboa, Mulgwai, Uba, and Sukur. These languages have unique dialects that originated from different parts of the African continent.

“Margi Language - Google Arts & Culture ” Google, Google, https://artsandculture google com/entity/margi-language/m02hxp n?hl=en

Sculptures

by Asabe Mamza

NEMA, a constant search of my Art and the imprints I leave behind. This work explores Cultural Documentation, Identity, Ancestral Knowledge, Lived Experiences, the Connection, and Creation of Traditional Art. NEMA is inspired by the Marghi people of Borno State, Nigeria. These are the elements used as a point of reference; Tribal Markings, Patterns, Motifs, Masks, Nature (Land occupied by the people), and as a means of understanding the relationship between the people and culture I am exploring experimental ways in which culture can be preserved through art and design in technology and at the same time, document lived experiences and ancestral knowledge, particularly in the 3D digital space. Understanding these cultural and traditional items, the processes of creating them, and being able to make art inspired by culture, is the first step to achieving this. I created these artworks using clay and paint as a means of being in conversation with the materials and themes I am exploring.

Alappuzha (Alleppey) Backwaters, Kerela

(captured by Sanskriti Maheshwari)

MALAYALAM

The Southern Dravidian language, Malayalam, is commonly spoken in the state of Kerala in Southern India with more than 35.5 million speakers. The language is also spoken in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and the Andaman, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Lakshadweep, and the Nicobar Islands.

“Malayalam ” Malayalam Alphabet, Pronunciation and Language, https://omniglot com/writing/malayalam htm

by Abhinav Muraleedharan

A conversation with myself to find out what I miss the most about my motherland.

Reconnecting With The Roots

by Abhinav Muraleedharan - English Translation

Q: What do The

The rainbows smiling above the mo

The moist wind piercing through m

The dancing clouds in The garden that greeted with The p

The tasty payasam on the eve of

The festivals forged in colours and

The games with 3 year old ne

The dosas, baked in love, by

The smile on grandma

The letters of love, lust and heart

Q: What do you miss, Ab

A: Everything

Separated by space an I miss an instance o That lived, loved a the be My Moth

And here as I write thi

I speak with my pa Hear stories fro Reco

Streets of New York City

(captured by Sanskriti Maheshwari)

ENGLISH

English is an Anglo-Frisian language that originated in Great Britain in the 5th century AD. The English language is the most common primary and secondary language spoken in countries across the world besides Mandarin, Chinese and Hindi.

English Language, https://www

Outside my misty window

Homesick

by Niño Jan Pol V. Dosdos

the title suggests, the m captures the writer's longing for home.

Photo

by Niño Jan Pol V. Dosdos

First Place, Wetlands International Philippines Program Photography Contest

Early morning bliss in Danaw, the heartland of the Subanens in Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur From lake serpents to ghostly islets, the Danaw is a majestic lake of wonders I also home to the porang, a native species of fish. Beneath its unmistakable serenity is a grim lore. In one of the legends I recorded, the lake was once a village. An old man ask for water from every house, but to no avail He came back to the forest but little did the villagers know that he was a diwata As retribution, the diwata cursed the village Ominous clouds formed and shattered heavy rain flooding the village high up and forming the lake. To this day, the Subanens always believe in attending to those who ne help